Dual turret conveyer



March 1, 1949. T. M. KANE. 2,463,281

DUAL TURRET CONVEYER Filed Jan. 8, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet l mam, zf'ame,

March 1, 1949. T. M. KANE 8 DUAL TURRET CONVEYER Filed Jan. 8, 1947 2Sheets-Sheet 2 F6 '28 1 I 2a 1 34 I /a V A Patented Mar. 1, 1949 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

This invention relates to conveying equipment and more particularly tosuch having a composite function coordinated with its mechanism fortreating the articles or items conveyed so they will be actuated orformed in some particular manner to produce a differentiated productfrom that originally conveyed.

The conventional type of conveyor is designed to carry material from onelocation where it is received to another where it is delivered, takingno part in producing or changing the physical nature of the product. Inother words its principal and only object is to transport the itemsmechanically and avoid the use of human labor for the purpose. Thearrangement is based on the fact that the work can be done by theconveyor, continuously, more quickly, uniformly, and economically bysuch means than by labor. The purpose of this invention is to increasethe efficiency of the conveyor by utilizing the period of time requiredfor the conveyance of a manufactured product between two points, as anoccasion to produce a commercial change in the product so that itsresulting value will be greater than it was when it started on theconveyor and time otherwise wasted will be put to practical use. This isaccomplished by including additional mechanism that can operate on theitems conveyed while being carried without interfering with the regularroutine of its time of travel, but performing some function that adds tothe degree of finish given the product or items. This mechanism iscoordinated with the operation of the conveyor to work cooperativelytherewith.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improvedconveyor mechanism that will avoid one or more of the disadvantages andlimitations of the prior art.

A further object of the invention is to provide a new and improvedconveyor equipment that will be capable of treating the items conveyed,as they are so carried, so their finish or commercial utility will beaugmented.

An additional object of the herein described invention is to provide anew and improved conveyor equipment that will facilitate the process ofproduction in addition to transporting the items concerned from onelocation to another, and perform the functions desired during the periodof such transportation.

These and further objects will be rendered apparent as the invention isfurther detailed.

For a better understanding of the invention, reference is made to theappended drawings and the description following, which together outlinea particular form selected in this instance to illustrate the inventionand indicate the principles on which it is based, while the scope of theinvention will be particularly pointed out in the claims.

The particular form of the construction used in the drawings isdesignated in the various details in which,

Figure 1 is a plan view of a composite conveyor and process mechanismembodying this invention;

Figure 2 is a sectional elevation taken along the longitudinal centerline of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken along line 3-3 of Figure 1, showingthe detail of the cam mechanism used for processing in this invention;

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken along line 4-4 of Figure 2, of adetail of the carrier used in this embodiment;

Figure 5 is a sectional plan view taken along line 5-5 of Figure 2, and

Figure 6 is an end view of the carrier looking in the direction of thearrows 6-6 of Figure 3.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout thedrawings.

In the construction shown, a table it] is used for the support of themechanism, and is in turn supported on suitable standards ll resting onthe floor. The table I0 is holed at l2 to permit the passage of a shaftI4 therethrough. The shaft I4 is held vertically in place on the tableby a plate l6 attached to the underside of the table H] by bolts [5. Amiter gear I1 is secured to the end of the shaft l4 and meshes withanother miter gear |8 attached to a shaft l9 journalled in one of thestandards II. A pulley 20 or other type of transmission unit is mountedon the end of the shaft l9 to enable it to be operated by an extraneousmotor or other source of power. This shaft I9 is restricted laterally bya flange plate 2| bolted to the standard in question. The shaft I 4 iskeyed to a toothed or slotted wheel 24 and held at a predeterminedheight above the table and forming the driver for a conveyor belt 25.This -loelt 25 goes around the periphery of the driver 24 and travelscontinuously in either direction on same. It carries rectangular turrets26 which are slidably fastened to bent flanges 21 which are attached tothe belt 25 on one side while an angle 28 is fastened to the outside ofthe belt by bolts 29. The turrets through the bent flanges and anglesslide along rails 35 positioned on supports 39 mounted on table l0.These turrets 26 have toothed or conical projections l3 that engage inslots 30 in the driver 24 as the latter rotates. The turrets "are sospaced, that they contact the driver every 90 or on each quadrant. Theyare reciprocated up and down by a plunger 32 which reciprocates inopenings 3| provided in the driver structure 24, so that the plungers 32can operate therethrough when their wheel end contacts one or moreportions of the cam elements 34 in the proper sequence. The plungers areloosely held in the driver structure 24 and their upper end portionscontact springs 23 attached to plugs 22 and force the rectangularturrets 26 upwardly for performing the stamping or forming operationsdesigned for them, on the article being conveyed. Normally the plungersare in their lowest position within openings 3| in the driver 24, andthey are raised when they reach the cam elements 34 mounted on the uppersurface of the table I at predetermined or suitable locations. An idlerwheel I24 mounted on an idler shaft I I4v serves to carry the conveyorbelt 25 over the further end of the table and its travel. It is providedwtih slots I30 to enable it to engage the projections I3 as they passalong. The shaft I I4 is of a stub type held on the table II] by asleeve 40 which slides in a dove tail slot M in the table and isadjusted by a screw 42 to tighten the conveyor belt 25. The cam I34 issimilar to 34, the plungers I32 are similar to 32 the plugs I22 aresimilar to 22 and they operate similarly. The engagement of the teeth I3in the recesses as each turret comes around causes the turrets to alignas they pass by the place of engagement in accurate relationship. As thecam element'coincides With the plunger at this location, it makes theoperation of the plunger follow at the proper instant. The articlescarried by the turrets are held by upright pins 44 suitably arrangedaround them so as to locate them over the respective plunger. The camelement on engaging with the plunger and wheel under the article on thatparticular turret will raise the plunger so the article will be broughtagainst tools 45 and I45 mounted on the upper portion of the shafts I4and I I4 and mark or form it as required. Since the tools are mounted onthe shafts I4 and H4 it will be evident that the tools rotate at thesame speed as the turrets and that, consequently, the articles carriedthereby will be stamped without blurring or smudging when the tools andthe articles are in alignment as shown in Figure 2 of the drawings. Thetool shown for the purpose of illustration consists of an embossingstamp 46 and the manufactured article 41 that is impressed With a markby the stamp when the plungers 32 and I32 forcibly raises the articleagainst it is shown at 41.

In the particular form illustrated, the arrangement is such that six camelements may be used and a similar number of tools used to produce theirrespective effects. on the articles. It will be understood, however,that any other arrangement may be used if found desirable or necessary.The cam elements have their faces contoured to 4 suit the particularfunction required of them and are established solidly on the table atthe locations selected and operate the plungers without requiring theconveyor belt to stop or change its speed during the operation or infact interfere with the regular operation of the conveyor.

The operation of the device follows from the pulley 20 through the shaftI9, gears I8 and H to the shaft I4, which in turn rotates the wheel 24,and causes the belt '25 to travel with the latter and in turn revolvethe wheel I24.

As the articles 41 are carried on the turrets 26 by the belt 25 to thewheels 24 and I 24, over the plungers 32 and I32, they are lifted atquadrants where the cam elements 34 are situated and lifted into contactwith the stamp or tool 45 then lowered and brought to the next step. Themethod of removal of the articles and their placement on the turrets maybe in any conventional manner depending on the product in question. Inthe present instance, this is done by hand and the table I 0 is. used asa temporary resting place, or for conveniently storing a few at a time.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. In a marking apparatus, a supporting table, a plurality of spacedshafts extending through said table, a drivin element rotatably mountedon one of said shafts, a driven element rotatably mounted on the othershaft, an endless conveyor belt connecting said elements, mark-formingtools carried by and rotating with said shaft in a plane parallel tosaid elements, spaced work supporting members secured to said belt in aplane parallel with and between the respective elements and mark-formingtools, a plurality of reciprocable plungers mounted in the driving anddriven element, and cam means on the table adjacent the respectiveelements and adapted to cooperate with said plungers for raising theplungers above the plane of the respective elements to raise the Work onthe work supporting members into contact with the tools. 7 2

2. A marking apparatus as set forth in claim 1, said conveyor belthaving a plurality of spacedapart teeth and said driving and drivenelements having spaced recesses adapted to cooperate with said teeth,

THOMAS M.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

